Down to details
Choose whatever method of securing the mirror you like—silicone caulking and mirror clips are two options. Secure the face frame on the cabinet and cut the shelves to fit. I used non-mortise-style door hinges for simplicity, available at most hardware stores. After the door is swinging, the last detail is to install a magnetic door catch and a doorknob.
If you have no choice but to install an inset cabinet in an exterior wall, be sure to include at least one inch of rigid foam insulation in the back. Also, seal the area around the cabinet with low-expansion foam during installation, to prevent indoor air from entering the wall cavity.
There are as many possible variations on this medicine cabinet theme as there are woodworkers. Pick one that matches your décor and, with all that increased space and style, you won't look at the lowly old medicine cabinet the same way again.
Insulation insight
If possible, avoid locating any inset cabinet within an exterior wall. There are two reasons why, one obvious and one not. When a cabinet steals space from the insulation used within exterior walls, it creates a cold spot that's prone to condensation in winter. I've even seen one that got so cold in the depths of February that the toothpaste was too stiff to squeeze out of the tube. A less obvious danger in exterior wall applications has to do with air sealing. Unless you're careful, warm indoor air can seep into exterior wall cavities around cabinet edges, causing internal condensation, mould and rot. —Steven Maxwell
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